Good Job By Branco !!

[faraz]

I try to explain WHY I say I am not happy with the team, and ENUMERATE different factors and POINTS supporting my argument.
but there are ppl who just say, "I'm happy with this or that".
-"why?"
-"just becoz I am !!!!!!!!"
-"but what did u see to make you happy with the team? what in these tactics or formation or .... . anything SPECIFIC ?"
-"ummmmmm....... shut up. you're anti-TM !" !

Ah, here's where I fall short Peyman Jan. I simply cannot state what in the "tactics" or "formation" or anything else made me happy.

What I can state is the following, after the first half of play:

Score: Iran 3 - Costa Rica 1

Ball Possession: Iran 57% - Costa Rica 43%

Corners: Iran 2 - Costa Rica 1

Attempts on goal: Iran 8 - Costa Rica 1

Crosses: Iran 5 - Costa Rica 2

Shots on Target: Iran 3 - Costa Rica 1

What did this tell you Peyman Jan? The players, tactics, formations, and anything else WORKED WELL. You can deny it all you want, but it's sitting here in front of you. Look at it.

[zzgloo]

Faraz jan, You are another person,along with DD,that I respect alot here...
while I exactly understand what you are saying,and I totaly support Branko now, but I should respectfuly disagree with you and your assesment on DD, or likes of him.....
DD has not turned against TM, like some say, infact,his disapproval of Branko not only is not unpetriatic,but also ,it is even more petriatic, as what he wants for TM, is an uncompromizing wish for nothing but the best.I may not totaly agree with him, but I understand him well.....
I want you to accept,that there may be a case maid that Branko is not a world class coach,and has,at times displayed less than ideal plans....
I want you to accept, one can not simply change his conviction , ( what ever it may be ),after just one or two insidences.
On the other hand, I want DD, to keep the open mind,and while being realistic,give more chances to Branko to reassert himself.
Coaching in Iran is not the most ideal place for a coach,yet, Branko is doing reletively well, in my opinion.

[faraz]

ZZ jan, I never said that he dislikes TM or has turned against it. It is, however, difficult to believe that anyone would complain about the 1st half stats that I put up. Seeing as he hasn't replied, I am wondering what he is thinking about those stats, and what sorts of excuses will be brought up for that performance. Maybe excuses such as:

a) the opponenet is poor
b) it is the players, not Branko (yet when we play poorly, it is BRANKO and not the players!!??)
c) luck?

I really have no clue.

Fact stands, you CANNOT ARGUE with those stats.

[zzgloo]

For the first time, I like to critisize DD, I hope,he takes it well, as it comes from some one who loves him...
In my ealier years, I used to be a marxist,and a seriouse ethiest !,I studied marxist ethiesm,as well as scientific ethiesm alot, so much so, that the issue was so facinating, and the fact that the rest of the world did not understand it, made it even more interesting,and used to give me pride !,but I later realized,that so much study had over occupied my mind.and I was no longer a free willing man, but just an extention of that particular issue,with very little tolerance to other issues,because,I used to think,I had looked at the issue,from all possible angles.....
Although,I am still a devoted ethiest, but I no longer,think of it as absolute.
It is only,my opinion.
May be, just may be...DD,by thinking about this issue alot, has reached a certainty ,and over occupied mind !, that in my opinion, should not be taken as absolute !!

[Doctor DOOM]

Ah, here's where I fall short Peyman Jan. I simply cannot state what in the "tactics" or "formation" or anything else made me happy.
What I can state is the following, after the first half of play:
Score: Iran 3 - Costa Rica 1
Ball Possession: Iran 57% - Costa Rica 43%
Corners: Iran 2 - Costa Rica 1
Attempts on goal: Iran 8 - Costa Rica 1
Crosses: Iran 5 - Costa Rica 2
Shots on Target: Iran 3 - Costa Rica 1
What did this tell you Peyman Jan? The players, tactics, formations, and anything else WORKED WELL. You can deny it all you want, but it's sitting here in front of you. Look at it.

so basically we are supposed to ignore the quality of the performance and only look at "numbers" ........... just like how we are supposed to fall for his "unbeaten record" and .... which only show "numbers" and not mention that almost 90% of this unbeaten record is against teams not even quarter our strenght ! very similar.

but to indulge faraz jan, I will discuss numbers :

1- score 3-2.
terrible terrible score.
absolutely unforgivable.
in the same azadi stadium we have scores like 7-0, 9-0, or even 11-0.
hell, we have scores like 17-0 OUTSIDE of Iran too.
am I supposed to rejoice over a 3-2 ?
impossible.

---------------
2- possession.
I think we have seen enough games to know possession does not mean anything.
I have seen many games where the losing team ( sometimes by 2-3 goals margin ) has had close to 60-40 possession.
sorry, but this doesnt prove anything.
you can keep passing the ball back and forth between ur defenders and run down the possession-clock.
so what?
what are you getting out of it?

-------------
3- corners: 2-1.
?????
move over barcelona?
who's brazil and holland?
THIS is the definition of dominance !!

TWO corners !!
my god, this must be engraved in stone forever !

------------
4- attemtps on goals.
good stats.
I like these numbers

----------------

5- crosses ????
read corners and possession remarks.

-------------
6- shots :
what?
am I supposed to jump up and down over 3 shots ?
IN AZADI?
we've had games where we've had more than 10-12 shots.
so 3 is nothing to brag about or even count as average.




notice I didnt even mention the quality of the opposition.
and their irritating arrogance to come with their reserves team, with hardly enough players as subs !!
coz I'm supposed to talk only "numbers & stats" !

yes.
do notice we are not considering "quality", and are bothered about "quantity" ... which cae up short anyway.

now, lets hope mexico, portugal and even angola will behave the same way CR appeared, and shd they try to "cheat" us and renege on our agreement that no team shd exploit our many weaknesses, we shall take them to all international courts.

lets hope these teams dont notice we dont have a decent left back, left wing, ....
and if they do, we'll throw these "numbers" at them and say "hey. shut up. havent u seen how we dominated CR or felan or bisar team? now, act properly and as expected and dont come down that side".

"also plz dont change your tactics. according to football ethiquette, once you enter a game with a set formation and tactics, you shd stick to that throughout that game .... and all other games you play."

In fact, I will make a large plaque and stick it near those 3 team's benches ..... lest they forget.

a petition would be nice too. asking them what I said above.

then, we're all set for world domination.

[faraz]

1- score 3-2.
terrible terrible score.
absolutely unforgivable.
in the same azadi stadium we have scores like 7-0, 9-0, or even 11-0.
hell, we have scores like 17-0 OUTSIDE of Iran too.
am I supposed to rejoice over a 3-2 ?
impossible.

I am not talking about the full game. I am talking about the first half. The whole discussion we've been having has been about the first half. And I desperately hope you are not wishing for 7-0 scorelines against teams that have made the W/C!

2- possession.
I think we have seen enough games to know possession does not mean anything.
I have seen many games where the losing team ( sometimes by 2-3 goals margin ) has had close to 60-40 possession.
sorry, but this doesnt prove anything.
you can keep passing the ball back and forth between ur defenders and run down the possession-clock.
so what?
what are you getting out of it?

You have seen many games where the LOSING team had 60 - 40 possession and lost? May I ask for specific examples, because this is quite the claim! It is not by any means a reoccuring theme, especially by 2 or 3 goals! Possession is a number yes, but it almost always shows WHO dominated. The more you have the ball, the more likely you will score, PERIOD. Now, when talking about passing back and forth to defenders, you can easily make that claim, sure, but pertaining to the Iran match? We were occupying their half for pretty long periods of time, and barely gave them a sniff at our net.

3- corners: 2-1.
?????
move over barcelona?
who's brazil and holland?
THIS is the definition of dominance !!

TWO corners !!
my god, this must be engraved in stone forever !

LOL...I do love your humour sometimes. On a serious note, that statistic is more-so to prove COSTA RICA's attempts on our net. ONE corner in a whole half? Not the best stat is it? So that may tell us something about our defensive positioning? Same goes for crosses!

6- shots :
what?
am I supposed to jump up and down over 3 shots ?
IN AZADI?
we've had games where we've had more than 10-12 shots.
so 3 is nothing to brag about or even count as average.

Peyman Jan, this is SHOTS ON TARGET. Actually, taking a look at this stat proves that it's wrong, as Ali Daei's shot was also on target, but obviously not noted. Either way, note that we scored THREE times. What does that tell you about our shooting percentage?




And finally...

You fail to give the team enough credit time and time again. That is the only thing that bothers me. We do not cut short in that many areas, and like any other team, we have weaknesses, fine. We all know that, and trust me Peyman Jan, Branko knows it better than the both of us. I am quite sure he'd love a great left-back, or a left-mid, or a great striker, but I don't know how abundant these players are.

Yes Peyman, in the world of sports, stats mean nearly everything. The stats I presented to you show defensive domination, and offensive domination. I cannot ask for more.